As the capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing is located in northern China, close to Tianjin Municipality and partially surrounded by Hebei Province. The city covers an area of more than 16,410 square kilometers (6336 square miles) and has a population of 14.93 million people.

Beijing, namely the northern capital, Jing for short, is the nation's political, economic, cultural and educational center as well as China's most important center for international trade and communications. It is one of the ancient capital cities in China together with Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing.

It has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history and consequently there is an unparalleled wealth of discovery to delight and intrigue participants as you explore Beijing's ancient past and enjoy its exciting modern development. It is a city with matchless grace, charm and vigor.

Beijing is a city with four distinct seasons. Its best is late spring and autumn. January is the coldest month with the monthly mean temperature of -4.7 C while July the hottest month with a mean temperature of 26.1 degrees. Beijing spring is relatively short, and people used to say that when the last day of the winter is gone, the summer is about to set in. Summer is usually hot with abundant rainfall. Autumn days are cool with clear sky and gentle breeze. Winter is severe and windy. It will snow at least 3 or 4 times during the winter time.